episode_0293

.

I don’t even need to look.

It’s probably Yoo Si-woo.

There’s no need to turn around and confirm.

This routine—squeezing through crowds and tailing me—has happened at least five times since last year.

And then, pretending it’s a coincidence, he’d call out, “Sunbae~” with that sickeningly sweet voice.

Last time, he even went out of his way to “run into me” at a convenience store near my place. I’ve seen it enough to be sick of it.

He’s probably planning something similar this time, too.

Even though Seo Woo-jin is right next to me…

He might even try to wedge himself between us.

…No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand why he’s like this.

What’s the point of going this far for just me?

If I were some irresistibly attractive woman, maybe I’d get it, but… I’m not.

What charm do I even have?

I’m bad at dressing up, boring, and the kind of woman who just works all day, day or night.

If Yoo Si-woo were the type of guy who looked like he’d pull these kinds of underhanded tricks, then fine, I’d at least try to understand.

But he’s a guy with plenty of girls who like him. Why go this far for someone who doesn’t?

…Is this like one of those drama lines? “You’re the first girl who’s ever treated me like this…” or whatever?

But if I imagine myself in his shoes, doing the same thing to someone else…

I’d never be that pathetic.

Even if Yoo Si-woo said he hated me.

Even if this idiot trash next to me said the same.

Never.

“…I’ll take this perfume. It smells nice.”

At least he didn’t follow us into the store. That’s something.

If he’d overheard the clerk earlier—mistakenly chattering about “your girlfriend’s taste”—things could’ve gotten even more annoying.

…Seems like he’s decided to avoid showing himself outright and instead lurk while Woo-jin and I do… whatever shady thing we’re doing.

But leaving it at that feels off, too.

And it’s not like I can be the only one who knows about this…

“Hey.” I lowered my voice. “…Lend me your ear.”

“My ear?”

“…Ugh. You’re just pointlessly tall.”

While paying for the perfume, I made sure to clue Woo-jin in before we left.

“…”

“…”

…Yoo Si-woo.

He’s been following us for a while now.

“…Is he really a stalker?”

“Close enough. No—worse, actually. The kind who pretends not to be before deliberately showing himself.”

Either way, today’s goal could be summed up with the saying: “A rolling stone dislodges a fixed one.”

Normally, the rolling stone dislodges the fixed one by chance, but…

If it chooses to collide, it’ll do the job much more decisively.

So as I handed Woo-jin the paper bag the clerk gave us, I made one special request:

“So, about that…”

Still holding onto the bag, I said:

“…Let’s keep pretending to be close. Just a little longer.”

“…”

“Just a little more… …blatantly.”

If I want Yoo Si-woo to get sick of me,

seeing me act close with another guy

would be the most effective way.

—

293

What’s the most important thing when forcing the appearance of closeness?

The moment I asked myself that, the first thing that came to mind was light teasing.

…Or, more accurately, skinship.

You know—chatting casually while lightly tapping the other person with a fist or palm.

Or, like I just thought, talking at length about a shared interest also works.

Though, between Woo-jin and me, the only topic that fits is Yozora.

“Thanks for helping, even though you must be tired. Next time, I’ll treat you to a meal or something.”

“…”

Ah.

Even mundane conversations count, I guess.

…And it’s not like I’ve ever done this with Si-woo.

“…You like expensive food, right? That okay?”

“How expensive are we talking?”

“…Sushi?”

“You call sushi expensive?”

“I-It is expensive…”

“Not by your standards.”

“…Is that so?”

Maybe it was because I’d asked him to play along blatantly.

Instead of his usual careless, teasing tone, Woo-jin responded with just the right amount of chatter.

When I named the priciest food I could think of, he let out a slightly flustered laugh and nodded.

…I don’t eat out much, so I don’t really know what counts as “expensive.”

But sushi is at least somewhat high-end, right?

Or maybe foie gras? Caviar?

Would I have had to name something I’ve never even seen before?

Even though I knew this conversation was meaningless, I briefly recalled the fried eggs I’d made this morning.

As we talked, I tuned into the presence I felt somewhere behind us.

Sure enough—he’s still following.

Since the crowd isn’t dense, he’s keeping his distance to avoid detection.

If I brought out my ears and tail to heighten my senses, I could pinpoint his exact location, but…

This is enough.

The important thing is that Yoo Si-woo is tailing us.

Watching everything we do.

“What do you usually eat that sushi is the first thing that comes to mind?”

“…Home-cooked meals. Side dishes from the market.”

“Huh. You don’t look the type.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I just can’t picture you washing rice or pulling side dishes from the fridge.”

“I’m actually decent at cooking, you know? …Even if my range is limited.”

“Like what?”

“Kimchi stew. Soybean paste stew. …F-fried eggs. Fried rice… …Instant noodles…”

“Aside from the stews, the rest are barely even ‘cooking.’”

“I-I never learned properly, so what do you expect?!”

No matter the topic, the goal is to keep the conversation light and friendly enough to irritate Si-woo.

But of course, Woo-jin responded with his usual sarcasm.

Annoyed, I raised my voice slightly—only for him to smirk, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

…Sure, he’s slightly better than Si-woo, but at the end of the day, he’s still an unlikeable guy.

Especially because he enjoys messing with me. I really hate that.

Once this stalker problem is dealt with, I’ll pretend not to know him even if we pass in the hallway.

I’ll make sure we never touch. Never get hurt.

Two rounds of that pleasure-only sex with a guy like him is more than enough.

Doing it again would…

…

…That cheap, pleasure-driven sex…

“You said if you got a boyfriend, you’d treat him really well. Shouldn’t you learn to cook better first?”

“W-what’s it matter? That’s… that’s unrelated!”

“Since you helped me, here’s some advice: guys love it when you add ‘made this just for you’ before the dish name.”

“Girls are the same. Don’t act like it’s just guys…”

Honestly, I don’t know if that’s true for all women.

I’d definitely like it, but…

Just because I would doesn’t mean everyone does.

But instead of voicing that, I lightly kicked Woo-jin’s shin a few times.

…Obviously,

this was for Si-woo’s benefit.

Not that there’s anything sweet about it—it’s just skinship.

But Si-woo’s never even had this much.

Forget touching—

the most he’s gotten from me is insults.

“…”

See?

Just a little skinship, and the presence that’s been following us has gotten much closer.

Even without my ears and tail, I can tell—

from 10 meters away,

to 5 meters,

to right behind us.

“Sunbae!”

“…”

“…”

He’s been following us.

And now, he’s made sure we know it.

“Sunbae, what brings you here?”

“…I told you earlier. I had plans with him.”

“Ah, right, right. Whew… I was just, y’know, out drinking with friends and stepped out for a smoke. Didn’t expect to run into you!”

Liar.

Not a whiff of alcohol on him.

But the cigarette smell? Strong.

If I had to exaggerate,

it’s like he’s been chain-smoking this whole time.

“And this is… Wait, you two are actually close?”

“…Yes. We have mutual friends.”

“Ah, right. You might not know me. I’m Yoo Si-woo. Second year. Vice president of the student council.”

“Seo Woo-jin. …If I remember right, we’ve met in the infirmary a couple times.”

“Yeah, that’s it. Maybe two or three times? …Anyway, it’s kinda funny seeing you outside. I heard you’re a year younger, but you seem more like an hyung, you know?”

“Are you calling me old?”

“No, no! It’s just your height—you seem mature! Plus, you’ve got that quiet vibe.”

Si-woo, who’s known all along, now acts like he’s just noticed Woo-jin, laughing awkwardly.

Unlike Woo-jin and me, he’s dressed to impress. I exhaled a quiet sigh and stepped between them.

“We’re busy, so we’ll head out. Have fun with your friend.”

“Ah, Sunbae. What were you two up to?”

“…Helping him pick a gift for his girlfriend.”

“A gift~ No wonder you’ve got that Zara bag. Clothes? Or perfume?”

“…Perfume. Good value for the price.”

“If that’s the case, I can help too! I’ve given—and received—plenty of gifts.”

“No need. Weren’t you drinking with your friend?”

“We drink all the time. If I feel sick, I just text them and leave early. No big deal.”

“The money…”

“One person pays, and we settle up later. Standard practice, right? …Ah, right, Sunbae doesn’t drink much, so you wouldn’t know.”

But despite my nonverbal “get lost,” he stubbornly clung to us.

…He’s sharp—no way he didn’t catch the hint.

It’s like his brain is filled with me.

Or maybe,

it’s filled with jealousy toward Woo-jin.

“Hey.”

“…”

“…”

The one who finally cut through this sticky situation

was Woo-jin, who’d been silent since the awkward “greetings.”

“We don’t need your help. Go back to your friends.”

“…”

“…Right, Noona?”

Not “We’re fine,”

not “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Just “We don’t need you.”

A pretty strong choice of words.

And at the same time,

using the term that would most get under Si-woo’s skin.

That’s Seo Woo-jin for you.